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Chapter Summary
Forest ecosystems are an integral part of the global ecosystem, providing clean air and water, improving biodiversity, and helping to combat climate change. However, the extent of forests around the world is decreasing. In this chapter some key issues related to sustainable forest management are examined, with a focus on the Canadian context. An overview of Canada’s forests is provided, followed by a summary of key forest management practices and some of the environmental and social impacts of these practices. The chapter concludes with analyzing approaches used to improve sustainable management of forests, including ecological forestry and Indigenous management of forest resources, before briefly examining global forest management strategies to highlight how the Canadian situation reflects broader forest management issues on a global scale.
Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, you should be able to do the following:
- Explain what the boreal forest is, its significance to Canada, and the main threats it is facing
- Discuss the economic and non-economic values of Canada’s forests
- Outline the management arrangements and different approaches for harvesting Canada’s forests
- Describe some of the environmental and social aspects of forest management practices
- Discuss the approaches and methods for achieving more sustainable forest management
- Discuss the theory and practice of “ecological forestry”
- Describe current directions for Indigenous management of forest resources in Canada